“Within the health sector, the New Zealand Public Health and Disability Act 2000 refers to the Treaty and, more specifically, to the Treaty principles of partnership, protection and participation. Most health policy refers to the Treaty and/or Treaty principles rather than te Tiriti. The disinformation continues with the recent Cabinet Office circular that affirmed the central place of the Treaty rather than te Tiriti in contemporary public policy.
In clear deference to the Māori text, the Waitangi Tribunal in 2014 (WAI 1040) ruled that, by signing te Tiriti, Ngāpuhi (a major northern tribal confederation) did not cede sovereignty. More recently the Waitangi Tribunal ruled (WAI 2575) that key health legislation and policy were not Treaty and/or te Tiriti compliant. With a major review of the health sector underway, it is timely to re-examine regulated health professionals’ competency documents in relation to their compliance with te Tiriti.”
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